Alt Attribute & Seo

SEO Optimization images is becoming more and more important in SEO (Seo optimization) for websites. The ALT attribute is really a critical step that is often overlooked. This can be a lost opportunity for better rankings.

In Google's webmaster guidelines, they advise using alternative text for that images in your web site:

Images:. Use the alt attribute to provide descriptive text. Additionally, we recommend utilizing a human-readable caption and descriptive text around the image.

Why would they ask us to do that? The answer is simple, really; search engines like google have the same problem as blind users. They cannot see the images.

Many webmasters and inexperienced or unethical SEOs abuse using this attribute, trying to stuff it with keywords, hoping to achieve a certain keyword density, which is not as relevant for rankings now since it was previously.

On the contrary, high keyword density can, on some search engines, trigger spam filters, which may result in a penalty for the site's ranking. Even without such a penalty, your site's rankings will not benefit from this plan.
This process also puts persons who use screen readers at a greater disadvantage. Screen readers are software-based tools that really read aloud the items in what is displayed on the screen. In browsing the net, the alt attributes of images are read aloud as well.

Imagine listening to a paragraph of text that is followed by repetitions of many keywords. The page will be not even close to accessible, and, to put it bluntly, will be found quite annoying.
What is an Alt attribute?

An ALT attribute should not be used like a description or a label to have an image, though many people utilize it for the reason that fashion. Though it might seem natural to assume that alternate text is a label or a description, it is not!

The words used inside an image's alt attribute ought to be its text equivalent and convey exactly the same information or serve the same purpose the image would.

The goal is to provide the same functional information that a visual user would see. The alt attribute text should be the "stand in" in the event that the look is unavailable. Ask yourself this: If you were to replace the look using the text, would most users get the same basic information, and would it generate the same response?
Some examples:

 

Some SEO Optimization Tips

If your search button is really a magnifying glass or binoculars its alt text ought to be 'search' or 'find' not 'magnifying glass' or 'binoculars'.

If the image is supposed to convey the literal contents of the image, a description is suitable.

If it is designed to convey data, then that information is what is appropriate.

If it is meant to convey the use of a function, then your function is what should be used.

Some Alt Attribute Guidelines:

Always add alt attributes to images. Alt is mandatory for accessibility and for valid XHTML.

For images that play merely a decorative role within the page, make use of an empty alt (i.e. alt="") or a CSS background image to ensure that reading browsers don't bother users by uttering such things as "spacer image".

Remember that it is the function from the image we are trying to convey. For instance; any button images should not range from the word "button" in the alt text. They should emphasize the action performed through the button.

Alt text ought to be determined by context. The same image in a different context may require drastically different alt text.

Try to flow alt text with the rest from the text because that is the way it is going to be read with adaptive technologies like screen readers. Someone listening to your page should hardly remember that a graphic image is there.
Please keep in mind that using an alt attribute for each image is required to satisfy the minimum WAI requirements, that are used as the benchmark for accessibility laws in UK and also the remainder of Europe. They are also necessary to meet "Section 508" accessibility requirements in the US.

It is important to categorize non-text content into three levels:

Eye-Candy
Mood-Setting
Content and Function

I. Eye-Candy

Eye-Candy are stuff that serve no purpose apart from to make a site visually appealing/attractive and (oftentimes) fulfill the marketing departments. There is no content value (though there might be value to some sighted user).

Never alt-ify eye-candy unless there is something there which will boost the usability from the site for somebody utilizing a non-visual user agent. Make use of a null alt attribute or background images in CSS for eye-candy.

II. Mood-Setting

This is the middle layer of graphics which might actually set the mood or set the stage so to speak. These graphics are not direct content and could not be considered essential, but they're important in they help frame what is going on.

Try to alt-ify the 2nd group as is sensible and is relevant. There might be times when doing this might be annoying or detrimental with other users. Then avoid it.

For instance; Alt text that is identical to adjacent text is unnecessary, as well as an irritant to screen reader users. I suggest alt="" or background CSS images in such instances. But sometimes, it's important to understand this content in there for those users.

Usually this will depend on context. Exactly the same image in a different context may require drastically different alt text. Obviously, content should always be fully available. How you go in this example is really a judgment call.

III. Content and Function

This is where the look may be the actual content. Always alt-ify content and functional images. Title and long description attributes can also be so as.
The main reason many authors can't figure out why their alt text isn't working is they don't know why the images are there. You have to determined precisely what function a picture serves. Consider what it is about the image that's important to the page's intended audience.

Every graphic includes a reason behind being on that page: since it either improves the theme/ mood/ atmosphere or it is critical to what are the page is trying to explain. Knowing what the image is for makes alt text easier to write. And practice writing them definitely helps.
A method to check the usefulness of alternative text would be to imagine reading the page over the telephone to someone. An amount you say when encountering a particular image to create the page understandable towards the listener?

Aside from the alt attribute you have a couple more tools available for images.
First, in level of descriptiveness title is in between alt and longdesc. It adds useful information and may add flavor. The title attribute is optionally rendered through the user agent. Remember they're invisible and not shown like a "tooltip" when focus is received through the keyboard. (A lot for device independence). So use the title attribute just for advisory information.
Second, the longdesc attribute points to the Link to a full description of an image. When the information found in an image is important towards the concept of the page (i.e. some important content will be lost if the image was removed), an extended description compared to "alt" attribute can reasonably display ought to be used. It may provide for rich, expressive documentation of the visual image.

It should be used when alt and title are insufficient to embody the visual qualities of an image. As Clark [1] states, "A longdesc is a long description of the image...The aim is by using any period of description essential to impart the facts from the graphic.

It wouldn't be remiss to hope that a long description conjures an image - the image - within the mind's eye, an analogy that holds true even for the totally blind."

Although the alt attribute is mandatory for web accessibility and for valid (X)HTML, not every images need alternative text, long descriptions, or titles.

In many cases, you're better off just choosing your gut instinct -- if it's not essential to incorporate it, and when you don't have a strong urge to do it, don't add that longdesc.

However, if it's necessary for the whole page to operate, then you have to include the alt text (or title or longdesc).

What's necessary and what's not depends a lot about the function of the image and it is context about the page.

Exactly the same image may require alt text (or title or longdesc) in one spot, but not in another. If the image provides absolutely no content or functional information alt="" or background CSS images may be appropriate to use. However, if the image provides content or adds functional information an alt would be required and maybe even a long description will be in order. Oftentimes this type of thing is a judgement call.

Image Search Engine Optimization Tips

Listed here are key steps in optimizing images:

Select a logical file name that reinforces the keywords. You should use hyphens within the file name to isolate the keyword, but avoid to exceeding two hyphens. Avoid using underscores as a word separator, such as "brilliant-diamonds.jpg";

Label the file extension. For instance, when the image search engine sees a ".jpg" (JPEG) file extension, it's likely to assume that the file is a photo, and if it sees a ".gif" (GIF) file extension, it's likely to assume that it is graphic;

Ensure that the written text at the image that is highly relevant to that image.
Again, do not lose an excellent opportunity to help your website with your images searching engines. Use these steps to position better on all the engines and drive increased traffic for your site TODAY.